Art Trap Productions

PLANET OF THE OOD

HOORAY, another great episode! Okay it really has a lot in common with CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES but it's also a very traditional DOCTOR WHO story what with a revolution (just how many DW stories deal with rebellions and revolutions?). Donna has another terrific episode, cemented as a very traditional companion now but also so much more. AND so much more than Rose ever was, sorry, it's true. Rose knew right from wrong but Donna, ahh, Donna feels right from wrong, and being much more mature, she does the right thing from instinct and maturity and care rather than just being whom the Doctor wants to do the right thing. Rose may have saved someone but she really didn't get the Ood. Donna feels the Ood and here, she's so good, for the second time in a row.

Tennant is terrific in this story and this story almost made him MY Doctor. He's that good in this and was that good in FIRES OF POMPEII and this will continue for some time to come in this season. When the stories are decent, he's great.

The snow planet is just marvelous and finally we get vistas of a planet for more than just one scene. Love the running theme of everyone thinking Donna and the Doc are a married company. Also the Indian girl was really mean in turning them in and for once, a person is not swayed by the Doctor and to be honest, she was quite annoying and I was glad when she got killed by the Ood, sad git that I am. In any event, the brain was a bit strange but when it swallowed the Ood sympathizer, it was like the blob in ANGRY RED PLANET. Even odder is the transformation of Halpern. Just why did the Ood do that? Not sure. I am also reminded of the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE episode where the IMF team make a prejudiced man turn into an African American black man!

There's also lots of action and at about 22 Min in, there seems to be a double cliffhanger as Donna is trapped in a cargo crate full of red eyed Ood AND the giant claw is reaching down at the Doctor.

The music throughout is great and the Ood song is wonderful. Too bad all of it is not on a cd someplace just like FIRES OF POMPEII.

Anyway this gets a 10/10 or a 5/5. Good story, good dialog, good monsters/aliens, good villain and strange outer spacey feel (the music in the brain center is especially odd and reminded me of the strange music from LOST IN SPACE-INVADERS FROM THE 5TH DIMENSION). Speaking of the 1960s, there is a link to the SENSORITES story.